2009 Idea Home: Before the Remodel

When Midwest Living first visited this home in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood, it looked like this. While still charming, its original functionality and livability had faded over the years with changes that included turning it into a two-flat apartment.

Knowing we could give this home a fresh outlook that readers would find inspiring, we adopted it for our 2009 Idea Home project. With our sponsors, our makeover returns the structure to a single-family home with three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a finished basement, and plenty of family friendly living spaces. The following slides show the demolition process and the beginning of the home's transformation. To see the finished home, click on "2009 Idea Home: Chicago Remodel" in the Related Links box below.

It was an exciting day when the new kitchen cabinetry arrived. In this photo you can see that the main level is completely reworked and reclad in fresh drywall. The new stone fireplace is visible in the background.